


Beautiful Days

by CheekyTorah



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: DO NOT COPY, Do not repost, Don’t Copy, Don’t Repost, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-10-28 05:35:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20773385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheekyTorah/pseuds/CheekyTorah
Summary: James is a temperamental brat sometimes, and Scorpius doesn't put up with it.





	Beautiful Days

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** # 46  
**Warning(s):** Strong Language  
**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.  
**Notes:** Thank you to the Mod who have been super patient with me, to the people who encouraged me and to coffee for fueling me.

It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was bright and warm, the trees swayed in the cool breeze and insects were buzzing all around. Every student at Hogwarts seemed to be outside, enjoying the day, soaking up every ray of sunshine they could as the rarity that it was to have an afternoon completely free of all classes. That is, every student except one was soaking up the sun. James Potter was avoiding his brother, that is, he was avoiding his brothers best friend, Scorpius Malfoy. Also, Scor’s new boyfriend Brendan Finch-Fletchley.

If he were being honest, he was avoiding seeing the two of them together. It made James’ skin crawl, and his stomach flip. It made him want to yell and stop around like the oaf Scor always said he was. Which was irrational of course, Scorpius certainly wasn’t James’ property, not his to claim, not his to touch. As much as those thoughts upset him, they also grounded him, and helped him get through seeing them together at meals, walking through the halls together and even the odd time he’s seen them in the library. 

The worst was the beginning of his seventh year, James saw Brendan pushing Scorpius up against a corridor wall, knee between his thighs, kissing like it would save their lives. Sure that was eight months ago, it was May now, but Brendan seemed to always be with Scorpius.

James sighed and slumped back against the shelves of books behind him. He had been reduced to hiding in the library to avoid seeing the guy he had been mad over for the past year. James figured Al knew, his brother was clueless at times, but that didn’t make him stupid. Al sometimes gave James these knowing looks when James was pouting at the dinner table during hols as Scor-who was visiting, he was _always_ visiting-mentioned Brendan.

He was almost done with school, just five more weeks, and he would be finished and off to begin training with Puddlemere. Of course, he got scouted in the beginning months of his final year, they had been watching him for far longer, waiting for the oldest Potter-boy to be ready for the big leagues.

If James was being entirely honest with himself, he was also hiding from the _James Potter Fan Club_. Yeah, it was an actual thing. Merlin, those fan people were relentless. They would chase him off the pitch and send him treats laced with love potions, usually earning themselves months of detention. A few of the boys had caught wind of him being gay and James had found naked teen boys in his bed, more than once, waiting, hoping, wanting. James shuddered at the thought.

He had his fair share of behind the tapestries fun, but he had stopped all that when he realised he was right stupid over the Malfoy boy. Sure he was a couple of years younger, and sure he was his annoying little brother's friend, but he was smart, sophisticated, charming and very kind. Mostly, he was just Scorpius; the boy he slipped into his dreams sometimes, the guy who always smiled at him in the mornings, and the one person who-other than Al-never took his shit and always made him see sense when he was being an idiot.

James picked up a balled up piece of paper and tossed it across the aisle with a huff and kicked the wall. Freddie told him he really ought to say something to Scor, if not for himself but for him and Dominique who were quite sick of hearing him whine about his hidden love.

"Which subjects are you huffing over?" Scorpius’ soft voice came from beside him.

"Potions!" James supplied quickly, even though he wasn’t really studying, and hadn’t been for quite a while.

"You’re not doing N.E.W.T. level Potions, are you? I thought you were only doing DADA, Transfiguration and Arithromancy," Scorpius commented as he sunk to the floor across from James.

"Er… " James sighed. "Why aren’t you outside?"

"You know I'd just burn, woe’s of pale skin," he said with a smirk.

James loved that smirk, he wanted to press it against his own mouth, taste it, map it with him tongue.

"Yeah, that's true," James said absently staring at Scorpius’ mouth.

_Look away! Look the bloody hell away, you daft fool!_

"You okay, Jamie?" Scor asked softly.

"Hmm?" James looked up into Scorpius’ eyes. "Yeah, I uh, I have to go."

James stood quickly, shovelled his books into his sack and bolted from the library.

The next few days went much like that. The more he thought about Scorpius, the more he had trouble being alone with him. His thoughts would wander, his eyes would wander, and he was dead afraid of his hands wandering and getting him into trouble. If James couldn’t have Scorpius, he sure as hell wasn’t going to lose him as a friend.

James buried himself in his school work, into studying and in Quidditch. It wasn’t hard, school was hectic, the final days coming closer and closer. Two weeks went by and James hadn’t really spoken to Scorpius since that day in the Library.

James went down to the Great Hall one morning in an already agitated mood. He hadn’t slept well, he had failed a recent assignment in DADA-his favourite subject-and to top it off his smacked his head getting out of bed. So seeing Brendan fussing with Scorpius’ hair at the table made James snap, and sparks of accidental magic surrounded the table.

"Jamie, calm down." Freddie said in a soothing voice.

"Piss off," James growled and in an effort to jump out of his seat, knocked his plate and cup on the floor making an awful racket. Taking a deep breath, James’ found his centre and let a wave of calm wash over himself. Then he turned on his heel and stormed out of the Hall.

~*~

James couldn’t explain why the back of the Library-between old History texts no one ever looked for-was his solitary safe space, but it was. He found himself enjoying the quiet and getting lost in his thoughts. He let his eyes drift shut and felt his body relax, the tension draining from his neck and shoulders.

Muffled footsteps alerted him that he wasn’t alone, then the heavy thunk of someone dropping their bag before the sigh of that same person sinking down and sitting beside him. A warm shoulder brushed gently against James’ and the scent of spicy soap filled his senses.

_Scorpius._

The only other person who knew this was James’ spot. Simply having found him by accident a few years back when James’ was hiding from the JP Fan Club. It had become a place that was only James’ and Scorpius’. He hadn’t shared it with anyone else. As far as James knew. Really he could have been bringing that stupid git, Brandon, here and James wouldn’t have known. His anger began to bubble up inside him again.

"Why are you here, I want to be alone, that's why I come here you know," James snapped, venom in his tone. He really didn’t mean to, he meant to be kind, to thank him for coming, to tell him he was just having a bad day, to grumble about stupid people being stupid making his life harder. Instead, like the bastard he knew he was, James just took it all out on Scorpius.

"Wow!" Scorpius scoffed. "Can you really afford to piss off any more of your friends, James? Pretty sure your bad day is not anyone else's fault. Stop being a fucking prat."

"Bril. You done yet?" James rolled his eyes.

"Done with you? No. Done with this childish behaviour? Fucking right I am," Scorpius snapped, standing up, before he went to grab his bag.

James wanted to reach out and grab his wrist. He wanted to apologise, and beg Scorpius’ forgiveness. He wanted to tell him all the reasons he was upset, and maybe even cry a bit because things just felt that hopeless at the moment. Before he could stop himself James jumped up and grabbed Scorpius’ hand, and he pulled him back. Scorpius stumbled and ended up against James’ chest, and instinctively James arms came around him to steady him.

Scorpius froze, his whole body tense under James touch, and the idea that James hugging him made Scorpius feel that uncomfortable hurt James more than he realized it would. Gently, but firmly James gripped Scorpius’ shoulders and moved him away.

"I’m sorry, I’ve had a bad day and I am not dealing with it well." He spoke through schooled breathing and staring at the floor terrified of meeting Scorpius’ eyes. He released the other boy's shoulders and backed away a few paces.

"You should go." James muttered, sinking back down to the floor and pulled out a textbook from his own bag.

James heard Scorpius huff angrily before stomping away. 

~*~

The last Quidditch game of the year came and went. The Hogwarts team won the entire season by beating Beauxbatons , so to celebrate, the two teams held a party. Headmistress McGonagall allowed them to use the Student Lounge, formerly the Room of Requirement according to James’ dad, to enjoy party games, food and, of course, some Firewhisky that Freddie had procured. The room was full of fifth, sixth and seventh years, anyone who was close enough with team members were invited to stay for the drinking and partying, which meant the room was overflowing with Weasleys, Potters and of course, Scorpius.

Before long, everyone was drunk; the game turned to Magical Truth or Dare. Freddie turned an evil, lopsided, drunken grin towards James and all of a sudden he realised, he never should have played this game.

"Truth or Dare Jamie-boy?"

"Truth." _Because that was safer, right?_

"Have you even snogged anyone in the past-I don’t know-year?"

Feeling the compulsion of the game kicking in he shook his head looking at the floor. There were a couple gasps of shock, that James the renowned playboy was having a dry spell.

"Ashley, Truth or Dare?" James asked Ashley Smith quickly.

"Dare!"

"I dare you to kiss Freddie."

Giggling happily she complied, Freddie who was more than happy with her dare, deepened the kiss and was hit with pillows from other players around the room. James noticed Scorpius sitting across from him on the couch peering at him curiously. The game went on. Soon it was James turn again.

"Dare!"

"Run around the room in your pants, oh and keep them off for the rest of the game." Al grinned.

James complied and it went on like this for the next hour. That is until Scorpius was dared to kiss a secret crush, by Al.

"Not exactly fair to ask someone with a boyfriend to do that," James grumbled.

The room went still; everyone stared at James and then Scorpius. Scorpius who was bright red and looking embarrassed and maybe angry. Scorpius who was very much NOT out to the world about being gay yet. Few people knew about it. Stupid drunk mouth, James cursed himself.

"I don’t have a boyfriend, you insufferable ass," Scorpius snapped.

"Right, cool, whatever." James grumbled before he stood up and announced that he was done for the night, far too drunk and confusing people in the room. Before anyone could say anything he ducked out and headed back to the Seventh year dorms.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Scorpius yelled, appearing suddenly beside James and dragging him into an empty classroom.

"I’m not, I’ve been busy, you know with my N.E.W.T.S." James mumbled.

"Bullshit! You can’t tell me you haven't had 5 minutes in three bloody weeks," Scorpius backed away from James and leaned against the wall. "Are you mad at me? Did I piss you off?"

"You’re always pissing me off, Scorpius! Go find your boyfriend, I don’t want to even look at you right now."

"I don’t have a boyfriend!"

"Brendan—"

"Is not my boyfriend! God you can be such an idiot!"

"But with the hair, and the snogging at the beginning of the year."

"You saw that? Well, I mean, it was a test—for him I mean. He wasn’t sure if he was-you know- and I was bored, and," Scorpius looked away. "Lonely, I guess. Not that it’s ANY of your business."

"Your a fucking twat," James said, but he felt the anger drain away. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest.

_Scorpius doesn’t have a boyfriend._

"Excuse me? That would be you! AND you’re arrogant, and self-righteous, and-and stupid! And always pulling some stunt." Scorpius was getting louder and talking faster and faster. He seemed angry, but James recognized the look in his eyes as more hurt than anything. "You act like your gods gift to the world. And you have really stupid hair."

James chuckled as Scorpius’ battled to remain calm, his face red and his chest heaving. Ruffling Scorpius’ feathers was one of his favourite things when they were younger, maybe James had liked him longer than he was willing to admit to himself.

"I don’t think that’s true. Well, maybe except for the hair, it can be pretty difficult most days." James grinned stepping closer to Scorpius. 

If he was going to tell him, it had to be now, he couldn’t hide it any longer and at least if it all went to hell he could blame it on the fire whiskey.

Scorpius drew a quick breath as James crowded him against the wall, his eyes darted towards the door, to James, his mouth. James hoped, he really truly hoped he wasn’t seeing something that wasn’t actually there. Feeling a connection that wasn’t actually happening.

"Want to know what I think?" James asked quietly.

Scorpius hummed in response. He kept watching James suspiciously, eyeing the door as if planning a foolhardy escape. James would let him leave, if he wanted to leave James would step aside and let him go. He’d never force Scorpius to do anything he didn’t want to do. If he didn’t want to talk, James would let him walk away.

"I think you're beautiful, but it’s a damn shame your parents taught you to talk." James said with a smirk.

"Rude, it’s you who—"

"Scor? Shut up!" James interrupted.

James cupped Scorpius face, looked into his eyes, and waited for him to pull away. To run. To reject him. When it didn’t happen, when his eyes seemed to beg for more, James crushed their lips together in a wet, hot, desperate kiss.

"Finally," Scorpius said airily, resting his forehead against James chest, fingers hooked in his belt loops.

James rested his chin on Scorpius head and wrapped his arms tightly around him. A small part of him afraid he was dreaming, a bigger part of him ready to do a backflip from excitement.

~*~

It was a beautiful summer day. The sun was bright and warm, the trees swayed in the cool breeze and insects were buzzing all around. Every student at Hogwarts seemed to be outside. James was propped up against a tree, hiding in the shade, beside the Black Lake. His boyfriend was tucked between his legs with his back against his chest, dozing happily. James was ecstatic. He had somehow got the boy he liked to like him back. He was a bit in shock, but mostly just unbelievably happy. James sighed and tightened his arms around Scorpius’ waist. Even if he was leaving Hogwarts in a couple weeks, he somehow knew they'd make it.

**Author's Note:**

> This story/art is part of an anonymous fest: drizzle 2019. Reveals will be in mid-October. Please do not repost anywhere else without explicit permission from the original creator.


End file.
